Dahlia plant named ‘Karma Royal Sea’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Dahlia  plant named ‘Karma Royal Sea’, characterized by its upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; strong and erect peduncles; freely flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescence form; large inflorescences with deep red-colored ray florets; and good garden performance and postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Dahlia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Karma Royal Sea’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant, botanically known as Dahlia hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Karma Royal Sea’.

The new Dahlia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hillegom, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new cut flower Dahlia cultivars that have a freely flowering habit, decorative inflorescence form, attractive ray floret coloration, and good postproduction longevity.

The new Dahlia originated from a cross-pollination in Hillegom, The Netherlands in 2002 of two unidentified selections of Dahlia hybrida, not patented. The new Dahlia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Hillegom, The Netherlands in 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Dahlia by cuttings in a controlled environment in Lisse, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of this new Dahlia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Karma Royal Sea has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Karma Royal Sea’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Karma Royal Sea’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia:

-   -   1. Upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Strong and erect peduncles.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Decorative-type inflorescence form.     -   5. Large inflorescences with deep red-colored ray florets.     -   6. Good garden performance and postproduction longevity.

Compared to plants of the parent selections, plants of the new Dahlia differ primarily in plant size and ray floret color.

Plants of the new Dahlia can be compared to plants of the Dahlia cultivar Karma Naomi, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,413. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lisse, The Netherlands, plants of the new Dahlia differed from plants of the cultivar Karma Naomi in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dahlia were shorter than plants of the         cultivar Karma Naomi.     -   2. Plants of the new Dahlia were more freely branching than         plants of the cultivar Karma Naomi.     -   3. Plants of the new Dahlia were more freely flowering than         plants of the cultivar Karma Naomi.     -   4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Dahlia had longer         postproduction longevity than plants of the cultivar Karma         Naomi.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Dahlia. The photographs shows the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Dahlia.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Karma Royal Sea’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Karma Royal Sea’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Lisse, The Netherlands during the summer in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Dahlia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 20° C. Plants were pinched one time about three to four weeks after planting. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were about four months old when the photographs and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Dahlia hybrida cultivar Karma Royal Sea. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unidentified selection of Dahlia             hybrida, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unidentified selection of Dahlia             hybrida, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures of about 18° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About twelve days at             temperatures of about 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 24 days             at temperatures of about 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 27 days             at temperatures of about 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine to fleshy; tuber development has not             been observed.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright to somewhat outwardly             spreading; inverted triangle plant form. Freely basal             branching with about four to six lateral branches and             inflorescences held above the foliage on strong peduncles;             bushy and dense. Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 110 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 45 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 20 cm to 25 cm. Diameter:             Towards the base, about 5 mm; towards the apex, about 2 mm.             Internode length: About 5 cm to 22 cm. Aspect: Erect to             somewhat outwardly spreading. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: 146C tinted with 178A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves opposite; leaves may be single or             compound with three or five leaflets.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Aristulate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate and divided; sinuses divergent.         -   Length.—Single leaves: About 8 cm. Compound leaves with             three leaflets: About 13 cm. Compound leaves with five             leaflets: About 16 cm.         -   Width.—Single leaves: About 3 cm. Compound leaves with three             leaflets: About 9 cm. Compound leaves with five leaflets:             About 15 cm.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 144A. Developing             foliage, lower surface: 147C. Fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: Darker than 141A; venation, 151C. Fully expanded             foliage, lower surface: 147C; venation, 151A.         -   Petiole length.—Single leaves: About 0.5 cm. Compound leaves             with three leaflets: About 3 cm. Compound leaves with five             leaflets: About 3 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—Single leaves: About 3 mm. Compound leaves             with three leaflets: About 3 mm. Compound leaves with five             leaflets: About 3 mm.         -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces.—152A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Rotate single inflorescence form with ray and             disc florets. Inflorescences positioned above the foliage on             strong peduncles. Inflorescences face upright to slightly             outwardly. Freely flowering habit; about 30 inflorescences             develop per plant. Inflorescences persistent. Inflorescences             not fragrant.         -   Time to flower.—Plants flower continuously during the summer             and autumn in The Netherlands.         -   Post-production longevity.—Good postproduction longevity;             inflorescences maintain good substance for about 30 days on             the plant and for about eleven days as a cut flower.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About             2.1 cm. Shape: Oblate. Color: 151A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 12 cm. Depth (height):             About 9 cm. Disc diameter: About 2 cm. Receptacle height:             About 3 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 3 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 5.5 cm. Width: About 1.6 cm.             Shape: Ovate to elliptical. Apex: Acuminate. Base:             Attenuate. Aspect: Initially upright to roughly             perpendicular to the peduncle to reflexed; flat or slightly             cupped. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             satiny. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 128             arranged in about 16 whorls. Color: When opening, upper             surface: 183A. When opening, lower surface: 183C; towards             the center, 75B. Fully opened, upper surface: 53A; toward             the base, 31A. Fully opened, lower surface: 53B; towards the             center, 75B.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate. Length: About             3 mm. Diameter, apex: About 0.2 mm. Diameter, base: About             0.2 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 60.             Color: Immature: 1D. Mature: Apex and mid-section: 17A.             Base: 1D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About eight arranged             in a single whorl. Length: About 1.5 cm. Width: About 4 mm.             Shape: Ovate to lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Color, upper surface:             144A with longitudinal stripes, 175B. Color, lower surface:             144A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: Terminal peduncle: About 25 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 10 cm. Seventh peduncle: About 8 cm.             Diameter: About 9 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Erect to             about 10° from vertical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             187B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per disc floret:             Five. Anther shape: Linear. Anther length: About 0.1 mm.             Anther color: 17B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 21B.             Gynoecium: Quantity per ray or disc floret: One. Pistil             length: About 2 mm. Stigma shape: Lanceolate. Stigma color:             2C. Style length: About 1 mm. Style color: 1D. Ovary color:             178B. Seeds: Seed development has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Dahlia have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Dahlia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Dahlia have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate     temperatures from about 0° C. to about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Dahlia plant named ‘Karma Royal Sea’ as illustrated and described. 